[[quoteright:296:[[Film/WhatEverHappenedToBabyJane http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/babyjane_7479.jpg]]]][[caption-width-right:296:Apparently, ''this'' is what happened to Baby Jane. Not a pretty sight.]]

->''"He's a former child star?! Oh, just lock him up and throw away the jail!"''-->-- '''Bosco''', ''[[VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Sam and Max]]: Culture Shock''

Probably one of Hollywood's biggest AcceptableTargets, the Former Child Star is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just what it sounds like]]: a star of TV or film whose career was at its peak in their formative years. Alas, such an unorthodox childhood can leave its mark on anyone (especially if they were NotAllowedToGrowUp), and it always does in fictional depictions of the Former Child Star. In adulthood, they may be a struggling actor who finds it hard to be taken seriously when everyone remembers them as "[[IAmNotSpock that one kid from that one show]]", if they're remembered at all. And that's if they're lucky: the unlucky ones wind up mourning their glory days in a dead-end job, or (dis)gracing the covers of tabloids after a run-in with the law. Sadly, a case of TruthInTelevision, as the troubled biographies of some real-life Former Child Stars will show. On the other hand, there are other child actors who grew up well, like Creator/JodieFoster and Bill Mumy, because their parents took care to raise them up right under the circumstances.

While some kids idolize these stars and want to be like--or be--them because of how "glamorous" their lives are, what they don't see behind the scenes is that their careers pretty much rob them of a normal childhood, and a disturbingly high number of Former Child Stars have unscrupulous, financially exploitative parents. Can you say BlessedWithSuck?

No doubt GrowingUpSucks for them...especially if they're [[ContractualPurity treated as though they never did]].

Compare WhiteDwarfStarlet, an older version of this trope. For other grown-up kids, see SchoolYardBullyAllGrownUp and KidHeroAllGrownUp.----

!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]* Onpu Segawa from ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi'' was a wildly popular preteen IdolSinger whose successful career is constantly shown throughout the series. The LightNovel that takes place when the characters are in high school reveal that she now has trouble securing acting roles because she can't break away from her child star image.\\\\Onpu's mother and manager Mio was this close to become a child star, but [[StaircaseTumble suffered an accident]] in an audition [[CareerEndingInjury and couldn't go further]]. That led her to become Onpu's StageMom.* In ''LightNovel/AmagiBrilliantPark'', Seiya Kanie used to be a child star with the stage name Seiya Kodama. Now that he's a teenager, he's not proud of it and goes ThatManIsDead whenever anybody recognizes him and tries to talk to him about it.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comedy]]* George Tirebiter from Creator/TheFiresignTheatre's album ''Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers''.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]* ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' featured a group of former teen superheroes called Excelsior. Most of its members had essentially become the superhero equivalent of this trope, but special mention goes to Julie Power, who tried - and utterly failed - to parlay her status as a former member of ComicBook/PowerPack into an acting career. Happily, she later came out as bisexual, got her act together, became a teaching assistant at ComicBook/AvengersAcademy, and is now dating Karolina Dean. The rest of Excelsior has faded into even further obscurity.* One of the members of ComicBook/TheOrder, California's Initiative team, was a former child country star, with much of the attendant mental baggage.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]* Pictured above is "Baby Jane" Hudson, the title character of the 1962 film ''Film/WhatEverHappenedToBabyJane''. She was a child star of vaudeville in the 1910s. Decades later, she's a bitter, mentally disturbed alcoholic old woman, who still dresses like a little girl and is unable to accept that nobody even remembers her anymore.* The David Spade film ''Dickie Roberts: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Former Child Star]]'' is about one of these characters trying to learn about "normal" family life from a typical suburban family in preparation for a role.* Jaleel "[[Series/FamilyMatters Steve Urkel]]" White played himself in the film ''Film/BigFatLiar'', briefly showcasing his struggles as an adult actor when everyone remembers him as "that Urkel kid".* ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'' had RealLife Former Child Star NeilPatrickHarris, although playing a far more dysfunctional version of himself than actually exists. This ironically led to a revival in Harris' career.* "Baby" Brent in ''CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs''. As a baby he was the mascot of the town sardine cannery and has spent his entire life trading on his fame, down to wearing a diaper underneath his clothes.* Donnie in ''Film/{{Magnolia}}'', a former ChildProdigy on a TV quiz show who fell on hard times.* ''Life With Mikey'' starred [[Series/FamilyTies Michael J. Fox]] as a former child star turned talent agent. Although in his case it's even weirder, most of his fame came from him playing a child while he was an adult. These weren't roles he had played since he was a child, his entire career was simply ''NotAllowedToGrowUp''.* Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in ''Along Came Polly'' plays with this trope, even featuring a movie poster in the style of ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'', and a character meltdown when he tries to direct and play every role in a community theater production.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]* The ''Gemma'' books by Noel Streatfeild are about a teenage former child star who is sent to [[TheGoodOldBritishComp comprehensive school]]. She changes her surname so as to be inconspicuous, but finds she doesn't like being a nobody, and ends up becoming (locally) famous again.* Subverted in the XWingSeries, part of the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse. Garik "Face" Loran was a child star who appeared in Imperial propagandist [[CallARabbitASmeerp "holodramas"]] until he realized the levels of cruelty TheEmpire was capable of. Now he's one part TheAtoner, one part MasterOfDisguise (he's still a fantastic actor), and one part TheAce (though this is mostly an act, he ''can'' be a truly competent pilot when he needs to be). This definition of "child" is a bit flexible and seems to extend to "teen", since a number of women in his squadron had crushes on him when he was starring in holofilms. His old contemporary and rival Tetran Cowall, on the other hand, stayed Imperial. And also became a fighter pilot, just for a chance to beat Loran.* Pearl Bright of Jane Lindskold's ''Literature/BreakingTheWall'' trilogy is a contemporary of no less than Shirley Temple herself. However Pearl herself subverts the usual description of this trope by being moderately wealthy thanks to her mother's careful investing of her childhood earnings, maintaining connections throughout Hollywood, and being an octogenarian BadAss.* The heroine of ''Tribute'' by Creator/NoraRoberts starred in a ''Series/FullHouse'' clone when she was a little girl. After struggling with maintaining her fading acting career and doing poorly in college as she grew up, she started a successful business in restoring and selling old houses. Her grandmother was also one, going from a Shirley Temple {{Expy}} to one for Marilyn Monroe, complete with a deeply troubled personal life and mysterious untimely death.* Kenneth Valentine of Creator/JohnVarley's ''Literature/TheGoldenGlobe'' is a seriously messed-up example, although, unlike the classic version, he's trying to hide from his past rather than wishing he could relive his glory days. He's actually a first-rate actor, but he avoids taking major roles because he doesn't want people to make the connection between him and "Sparky" (the role that made him famous as a kid).[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]* An ''Series/{{SCTV}}'' segment parodies the trope with the show ''Oh That Rusty!'', which has been running for over 20 years with the same lead actor. He's clearly an adult, and off screen he basically runs the show now, but his character Rusty has never aged. Since Rusty is ''eight years old'', the show recasts the other characters and redesigns the sets to try and hide this.* Robin from ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' was one (in Canada). The rest of the group mock her mercilessly for it.* Creator/WilWheaton [[AdamWesting plays a version of himself]] like this in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', initially playing the {{Jerkass}} version of this trope, but developed into a [[JadedWashout washed-up]] and chronically depressed has-been taking bit parts in low budget B-movies. * In the ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' episode, "You Better Shop Around" Jerry Mathers (known for ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver'') guest stars, [[AdamWesting playing himself]] as a washed-up former child star, who has resorted to judging shopping contests in supermarkets. Bud and Kelly mercilessly mock him for this until he pointed out his father never sold women's shoes for a living.* Marcus Little of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOnDeck'' was formerly the OneHitWonder kid rapper Lil' Little.* ''Series/MrShow''[='=]s finale has Josh Fenderman, a parody of Corey Feldman and his MichaelJackson-esque phase.* Liv from ''Series/LivAndMaddie''.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music & Radio]]* Creator/PeterSellers' 1958 comedy album ''The Best of Sellers'' has a song, "I'm So Ashamed", where a pop singer laments his falling out of favor, having not had a hit song in three weeks. It's revealed that the poor guy's almost 9 years old now...* Music/BarenakedLadies' song "New Kid On The Block" has a line about this: "I'm a New Kid on the Block/I'm 23 and they won't let me grow up."[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]* The Broadway musical ''Theatre/AvenueQ'' features Gary Coleman as a superintendent. And in the Mexico City production, the character was turned into a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version of Carlos Espejel, a Mexican comedian who was a child actor in eighties' Mexican TV. Imagine a kid dressed up as Dracula, trying awfully hard to be scary and [[HilarityEnsues failing miserably, time after time...]]* Baby Rose, from the original version of ''Babes in Arms'', moved to New York after she got older and "became passé". Now a gorgeous teenager, she's followed everywhere by a barbershop quartet who sing backup for her, but she has so little money left from her Hollywood days that, when the rest of the cast gets sent to a work farm, she and the quartet get sent there, too.* ''Theatre/ForbiddenBroadway'' once did a parody of ''Theatre/{{Annie}}'' about actresses who can't get work as adults after having played the title role.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]* The Soda Poppers from Telltale Games' episodic ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' adventure games, who were reoccurring characters throughout the first two seasons before [[spoiler: revealing themselves to be evil in Episode 205, ''What's New Beelzebub?'']].* In ''VideoGame/{{Segagaga}}'', VideoGame/AlexKidd tells the sad tale of how he used to be a video game star when he was younger, but fell by the wayside. He now works behind the counter at one of Sega's shops.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]* FunnyOrDie's ''[[http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c8ad4aa802/wax-on-f-ck-off-with-ralph-macchio Wax On, Fuck Off]]'' is about [[Film/TheKarateKid Ralph Macchio]] trying to ''become'' a Hollywood trainwreck (or at least look like one) in order to gain more roles.* Donnie Dupre of ''WebVideo/DemoReel'' is revealed to be this. Now a lackluster filmmaker, Dupre was formerly known as Jimmy Boyd (an expy of Jake Lloyd), whose mother, a washed-up starlet, committed suicide during the filming of a Christmas movie Dupre was in. Young Dupre attempted to press on with the performance, but the suicide caused him to be unable to give it his all. As a result of the bad performance, Dupre's Hollywood reputation tanked, causing him to develop a grudge against the Hollywood system for the unfairness of the entire ordeal.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' had minor baddie "Baby" Dahl, a former starlet who wasn't able to find work as a serious actress after her show was cancelled because she's [[OlderThanTheyLook stuck in the body of a little girl]].* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}}'' had a former child star called Babyface trying to pass himself off as MickeyMouse. Apparently, he was [[SmallNameBigEgo so obnoxious]], people have gone on record to say that they [[WouldRatherSuffer would rather dance barefoot on the surface of the Sun]] than work with him again.* ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' had a one-shot villain named Replay who was a former child star with [[MesACrowd self-duplication]]. And was also voiced by former child star Creator/NeilPatrickHarris.* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':** The episode "Last Tap Dance In Springfield" has this with Lisa's tap teacher, who was a Shirley Temple-style star and is now a nasty old harridan who hides behind TastesLikeDiabetes mannerisms most of the time. She admits to tapping coded messages for the Allies in WWII and destroying Buddy Ebsen's credit rating, so this two-faced nature was probably always there.** An adult Butch Patrick is a guest star in the episode "Eight Misbehavin'", where he cheerfully comments that ''he'' turned out OK! .. while still wearing his very ill-fitting [[Series/TheMunsters Eddie Munster]] costume.** Moe was one of the original ''Little Rascals'' until he kills the original Alfalfa in a fit of rage when he stole his bit. Fortunately for Moe, Alfalfa was an orphan owned by the studio.* Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture from ''The [[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers Venture Brothers]]'' applies to this in a non-acting sense: he was a boy adventurer a la ''JonnyQuest'', but has been met with failure after abject failure in his attempt to "adventure" post-adolescence.** This could also apply to supporting character "Master" Billy Quizboy, who won big on a game show as a kid. Other characters vaguely remember him as a minor celebrity from 20+ years ago.** One of the recurring themes in the show is that this ends up happening to pretty much ''all'' "Boy Adventurers" when they grow up. JonnyQuest himself, for example, is now a paranoid junkie. Rusty also attends a therapy session that features a Comicbook/{{Robin}} like former sidekick with an eating disorder, an Manga/AstroBoy looking robot with anger management problems, and two ''Literature/TheHardyBoys''-like former boy detectives who almost certainly killed their father. The whole experience actually leads Rusty to realize that by the standards of his peers he made out pretty good.* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', open auditions are held for the part of Calculon's son on ShowWithinAShow ''All My Circuits''. Among the hopefuls are "that robot child actor who grew up and robbed a convenience store." He buys a lottery ticket from a robot child actor who grew up and ''became'' a convenience store -- or, more accurately, a huge walking vending machine.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]!!!Real Life instances:* As a musical example, Music/BritneySpears has fallen on this ''hard''. Though her musical career has rebounded, her personal life and reputation are a massive train wreck, with her remaining in the conservatorship of her father.* Creator/LindsayLohan... Oh dear. It was a mix of [[ThePrimaDonna her personality]] (even as a child) and [[StageMom her parents]] that eventually demolished anything she had left resembling a professional career.* Music/JustinBieber started out as a sweet little boy singing songs on Website/YouTube. Then, he blew up and became a superstar. His ego soon followed and now he's more known for his drinking, partying and love of strippers/prostitutes than singing. * The famous child acting duo Corey Feldman and Corey Haim both had meltdowns for adult lives. Eventually it claimed Corey Haim's life. Corey Feldman has survived fairly well, but unfortunately that's all we ever hear of him doing anymore.* Brian Bonsall, who played baby brother Andy Keaton on ''Series/FamilyTies'' and Worf's son Alexander on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' has been arrested several times for assault and drug possession.* Macaulay Culkin became a star after ''Film/HomeAlone''. Twenty years later, it still is his most important role. However, this is largely by ''choice'', as he had a [[StageMom Stage Dad]] who forced him into role after role without taking a break, wanting to maximize on his son's bankability. Culkin understandably got burned out on his desire to act after that.* Creator/EdwardFurlong, despite solid performances in ''Film/AmericanHistoryX'' and a couple of other movies, is still remembered as [[Film/{{Terminator}} a juvenile John Connor]].* For some time, Jake Lloyd seemed to be very bitter and cynical about his role as Anakin Skywalker in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', but since he went through high-school and college with people [[NeverLiveItDown constantly]] [[{{Misblamed}} accusing]] him of ruining ''Franchise/StarWars'', it's kinda hard to blame him for feeling so disillusioned. However, a later interview between him and a ''StarWars'' fansite (as well as a [[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=697006523681359&set=a.108672092514808.4720.100001160524846&type=1 photo on his own Facebook page]]) has shown that he's mellowed out since then and confirms that - contrary to popular belief - he does not hate the franchise after all the harassment.* Music/MichaelJackson was ultimately a bigger star as an adult solo act, but didn't completely subvert this trope. The abuse he suffered under [[StageMom his dad's]] thumb as a child star warped him so badly that once he was able to stand on his own, he became obsessed with finally having a happy childhood in his private life. Thus, most of his adult pursuits and hobbies were juvenile and a way for him to "live as a kid" (i.e., the whole Neverland Ranch), and were a big reason he wound up with the MemeticMolester reputation that ruined his career.* Creator/WolfgangAmadeusMozart was very much like Michael. [[StageMom His parents, and particularly his father Leopold, made him a child prodigy]], but more of his popular works date from his later years.* Creator/JudyGarland had some success into her twenties, still usually playing teenage roles, but she could never really transition into serious adult roles, and once her teenage stardom days were over, it was the beginning of the end for the "little girl with a great big voice." She developed a drug addiction, which stemmed from being given barbiturates by MGM to keep her active and working longer during her child star years. Her increasing difficulty to work with and nervous breakdowns certainly didn't help, as well as her greedy and jealous StageMom. Two failed comeback attempts, five marriages, a few suicide attempts, and many health problems (including heavy smoking and drinking) later, she passed away from a barbiturate overdose at the very untimely age of 47 in 1969 (although because of her health problems, she arguably looked at least ten years older). * Brad Renfro was 12 when he made his film debut in the critically-acclaimed film ''The Client'', co-starring with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. He won ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s Young Star Award in 1995 went on to appear in the 1998 film ''Apt Pupil'' and ''GhostWorld''. Sadly, he spiraled into drug and alcohol abuse and died from a heroin overdose at the age of 25.* The three lead kid actors on ''DiffrentStrokes'' -- Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, and Dana Plato -- became infamous for brushes with the law as adults. Plato ultimately died at 34 of a drug overdose which was ruled a suicide. Gary Coleman, meanwhile, [[FunnyAneurysmMoment struggled to recover before tragically dying at 42 from head trauma]]. Bridges, meanwhile, is a regular on [=TruTV=]'s ''The Smoking Gun Presents'', along with former ''Partridge Family'' cast member Danny Bonaduce, another example of a former child star who fell into serious problems as an adult (both Bridges and Bonaduce appear to be getting their lives on track at this point).* Two of the Phoenix brothers provide a straight example and an aversion.** Creator/RiverPhoenix had a skill for acting far beyond anyone else in his generation, but couldn't cope with the pressures of fame and hated that he was part of a system he despised in which he was the focus of attention that should have been devoted to causes such as Humanitarian or Animal Rights which he felt strongly about. He turned to drugs and wound up dying of an overdose.** Creator/JoaquinPhoenix, however, transitioned successfully into a critically-acclaimed adult acting career in such films as ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'', ''Film/WalkTheLine'', ''Film/TheMaster'', and ''Film/{{Her}}''. Although he played up to the trope with his extended breakdown in the fake-autobiographical ''I'm Still Here''.* Bobby Driscoll, who was Disney's golden boy during the 1940s, is a very sad case. He was in several Disney movies, and particularly famous for his roles in ''Song Of The South'' and ''Disney/PeterPan'', but was abruptly let go in the middle of the 1950s (allegedly at least partly because he developed terrible acne as he entered puberty, requiring heavy makeup to hide it). He was ridiculed in school for being a child star and lapsed into obscurity through drugs. He was found dead and the body wasn't identified until a year later.* Anissa Jones, notable for playing Buffy in ''Series/FamilyAffair'', was another sad case. When the show ended its run in 1971, she tried to find work in films, but no roles were coming. Brian Keith, who played her uncle on ''Family Affair'', wanted to give her a part in his new TV project, but she no longer wanted to work in TV. Jones later fell into drug addiction, and died in 1976 of an overdose at age 18. One contributing factor to her problems may have been that the producers and writers literally [[Analysis/NotAllowedToGrowUp didn't let her grow up]]—even though she had hit puberty by the time the series ended, she was still forced to act and appear as a preteen.* Other than the [[MaryKateAndAshleyOlsen Olsen Twins]], just about all of the child/teenage actors who starred in ''Series/FullHouse'' have fallen out of the limelight.** Jodie Sweetin in particular stands out as an example of this trope played straight. Facing an inability to find further work and a traumatic social life due to being typecast as Stephanie Tanner, she became an alcoholic and a habitual user of marijuana, cocaine, LSD and most famously, meth. However, she seems to have gotten her life back on track, has published a memoir about her drug addiction, and is now seeking a CareerResurrection.** Candace Cameron has since bounced back a bit, now appearing on ''MakeItOrBreakIt''. Not as well-known or massive as ''Full House'' was in its time, but still a noteworthy performance. A devout Christian like her brother Kirk Cameron (see corresponding entry), the worst she did was marry young. * LeifGarrett is an example of this, a child pop star who got embroiled with drugs and scandals. Currently a commentator on TruTV's ''WorldsDumbest'' alongside fellow former child stars Danny Bonaduce and Todd Bridges.* There is an interesting contrast between the two stars of ''GuestFromTheFuture''. NataliaGuseva acted in a few more movies, but decided to become a scientist instead. Now, she not only works as a biochemist, but also is still involved with the fan community, and is raising a daughter. Meanwhile, Creator/AlexeiFomkin had a few more roles, but got into drug problems, which caused him to lose roles and spiral further downward. He quit acting and moved to a village, which seemed to be straightening him out. Sadly, he died in 1996 when his apartment burned.* Robert Blake starred in ''Our Gang'' comedies (as Mickey Gubitosi), then later starred in ''In Cold Blood'' and had the title role on the TV series ''Baretta'', and years later was acquitted of his wife's murder, but lost a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by his children.* For a while, it looked as though [[Series/TheAmandaShow Amanda Bynes]] was shaping up to be an aversion; she had stated that she didn't like drinking or going to clubs and instead preferred to hang out at home with family and friends. That changed in 2012, however, when she was involved in several hit-and-run and reckless driving incidents, and continued into a series of increasingly erratic Twitter posts, including asking Music/{{Drake}} to "murder her vagina". She was eventually [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Bynes#Legal_issues diagnosed with schizophrenia]], which explains the behavior, and was on involuntary psychiatric hold for several months in 2013.* Former IdolSinger Ai Kago joined Morning Musume, one of the most popular {{Girl Group}}s in Japan, at age 12, and her popularity flourished when she was selected to join other units under the HelloProject name. However, as she grew older, she became dissatisfied with her image and started smoking to feel "older", though she was underage at that time. As a result of that (and entering a relationship with a man 10 years her senior), she was kicked out of HelloProject. While she did try to make a comeback, her career has continued to spiral downwards with numerous scandals including having an affair with a married man and dating a man rumored to have ties with the yakuza.* Most of the cast of TheLittleRascals (the original short films, also known as OurGang), giving rise to the rumour of the "Our Gang Curse." Carl Switzer (Alfalfa) was murdered over a gambling debt at the age of 31. Chubby died at the age of either 18 or 22 depending on the report, after a massive weight loss following surgery. William Laughline (Froggy) died in a scooter accident at the age of 16. Kendall [=McCormas=] committed suicide at age 67. Mickey Daniels died alone in a hotel room, of cirrhosis of the liver. Matthew Bear (Stymie) led a life of crime and drugs. Scotty Beckett died of an overdose. And so on. Even Buckwheat (William Thomas) and Darla (Darla Hood), who led relatively normal lives, died early (49 and 47 respectively) of health problems. Several of the other cast members lived lives of crime and drug addiction and died young, making this a straight version of the trope.* The original six Dead End Kids, who played a gang of street urchins in the 1935 play ''Dead End'' and its 1937 film adaptation and then similar groups of delinquents in several further films (such as ''Film/AngelsWithDirtyFaces''), provide several straight examples and several aversions.** Straight examples:*** Billy Halop found his film work drying up after he returned from military service in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII; having left the Dead End Kids in 1940, he missed out on their later work in the Bowery Boys series, having to settle for the knockoff Gas House Kids series. He struggled with alcoholism and a string of failed marriages before getting his life back on track in the late 1960s by qualifying as a registered nurse[[note]] He was inspired to pursue this career after caring for his third wife, who had multiple sclerosis; he had previously had some success as a dryer salesman for the Leonard Appliance Company of Los Angeles, at one point being named "Most Creative Salesman in the US" by the National Association of Manufacturers.[[/note]] and getting a recurring role as cabbie Bert Munson on ''Series/AllInTheFamily'' until dying of a heart attack at 56.*** Bobby Jordan made the transition to the Bowery Boys series, but grew frustrated with his dwindling screen presence in the films, eventually quitting the series and finding increasing solace in the bottle (helped in this endeavour by a later job as a bartender) before dying of cirrhosis of the liver at 42.*** Leo Gorcey was one of the most prominent actors in the Bowery Boys series until, following his father's death in a car accident, he descended into alcoholism and trashed a movie set in a drunken haze, leading the studio to refuse his request for a pay rise, which in turn led him to quit the series. He had been married five times at his death from liver failure aged 51, at the end of a decade of only sporadic film work.[[note]] During this time, he gained a certain amount of notoriety for being the only person depicted on the cover of Music/TheBeatles' ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' to request a fee; EMI refused the fee and simply painted him out of the cover photo.[[/note]]** Aversions:*** Huntz Hall stayed with the Bowery Boys series until the very end, and though he had the odd career hiatus, he continued to find acting jobs until the early 1990s. Not that he needed the money, as he had become wealthy through investment in offshore oil and gas drilling.*** Gabriel Dell transitioned to adult roles in the Bowery Boys films before leaving the series in 1950. He spent three years at the Actors' Studio, and had perhaps the most successful solo acting career of the Dead End Kids, finding steady work on Broadway and in films and television (he was a regular supporting player on ''The Steve Allen Show'' in the late 1950s) until the early 1980s.*** Bernard Punsly[[note]] Not "Punsley" as it was often misspelled[[/note]] retired from acting in 1943 at the age of 20 and became a doctor (even as an actor, he would read medical textbooks between takes), maintaining a private practice and being a hospital chief of staff in the greater Los Angeles area. He was also married just once, for over fifty years (ending with his death aged 80), and had two children.[[note]] Though Punsly claimed never to watch his old films, feeling he had grown out of them, he did join Huntz Hall, the only other living former Dead End Kid, for the unveiling of the group's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.[[/note]]

!!!Real Life aversions:* Creator/ElizabethTaylor, going from a child star in movies like ''LassieComeHome'' to one of the most famous film actresses '''ever'''. Her private life, however, was notably less successful: she was notorious for her large number of weddings and divorces (eight, including two to Creator/RichardBurton), and was treated for alcoholism and prescription drug addiction.* Creator/JodieFoster. First major role was in ''Film/TaxiDriver'' as a twelve-year-old child prostitute. Even after the scandal over [[StalkerWithACrush John Hinckley]], she went on to have a very successful career which includes ''two'' acting Oscars.* ShirleyTemple, after an ill-fated marriage at age 17 to a man who stole all her money, went on to be happily married for 50 years until her husband's death, and was an Ambassador for the United States to Czechoslovakia during the Velvet Revolution. During the 1968 Soviet Crackdown on Czechoslovakia, she led over 700 people to the border and got them through because the guards were fans of her.* Jackie Cooper starred in some ''[[TheLittleRascals Our Gang]]'' comedies and was still a successful actor, director, and producer, most famous on screen as Perry White in the ''Film/{{Superman}}'' film series starring Creator/ChristopherReeve.* Bill Mumy of ''Series/LostInSpace''. His parents took care that he grew up properly during his career as a child, including carefully investing his pay, and he became a successful musician (his comedy pop band Barnes & Barnes is responsible for that "Fish Heads" song) and a reasonably busy actor who even got another juicy sci-fi TV role as Lennier in ''Series/BabylonFive''. His daughter Liliana is also making it well as a cartoon voice actress (most notably as the voice of Panini in ''{{Chowder}}''), and even played alongside her dad in the sequel to "It's a Good Life", "It's Still a Good Life", on the second revival of ''Series/TheTwilightZone''.* Dean Stockwell averts this big time, starting as a child star in the 1940s, and continuing to work steadily for the next '''sixty-five''' years, being best known as Al on ''Series/QuantumLeap'' and Cavil on the rebooted ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}''.* The child cast of ''Series/TheWonderYears'' have all managed to do well as adults: Fred Savage is a director and producer along with occasional acting, Danica [=McKellar=] is an author and mathematician when not acting, and Josh Saviano (Paul) is an attorney. Although Saviano has been the subject of the famous myth that he became Marilyn Manson when he grew up which he has found very amusing.* Creator/ChristianBale rose to fame as a child actor in films like ''Film/EmpireOfTheSun'' and his OldShame ''Film/{{Newsies}}'', but truly came into his own in ''AmericanPsycho'' and is now best known as Franchise/{{Batman}} from ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga'', and won a [[AcademyAward Best Supporting Actor Oscar]] for his work in ''Film/TheFighter''.* Danny Bonaduce has [[AdamWesting made an entire career]] out of being a washed-up ex-child-star. He makes a point of stating that he would have turned into a drug-addicted JerkAss with or without his role on ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'', so he can be seen as an aversion of sorts.* Creator/NatalieWood starred in ''MiracleOn34thStreet'' aged 8, but successfully adapted to 'grown-up' parts in her teens with ''Film/RebelWithoutACause'' and ''Film/TheSearchers'' and is barely remembered as a child star at all. The only significant scandal to happen to her stems from her death (she drowned off the coast of Santa Catalina Island while on a yacht with her husband, Robert Wagner, and friend Creator/ChristopherWalken), the exact circumstances remaining unknown to this day).* Creator/NataliePortman. Her first big role was at the age of 11/12 in ''Film/TheProfessional'', and she has been ''far'' more successful as an adult, starring in the Franchise/StarWars prequel films, ''Film/VForVendetta'', ''Film/BlackSwan'' (which won her an Oscar) and ''Film/{{Thor}}''. Like Emma Watson below, Portman taking a career break to go to college (and [[IvyLeague Harvard]], [[TeenGenius no less]]) may have had something to do with it. Like Christian Bale, she also won an Oscar, for Best Actress, for her role in ''Film/BlackSwan''.* Creator/KirstenDunst's first big role was in ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire'' at 12 then ''{{Jumanji}}'' when she was 14, but she went on to a string of critically acclaimed and commercially successful roles in the ''{{Spiderman}}'' films, ''EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind'', ''Film/MarieAntoinette'', and ''{{Melancholia}}'', which won her the Best Actress award at the CannesFilmFestival in 2011.* Peter Billingsley from ''Film/AChristmasStory'' grew up to be a successful director and producer. [[{{Bishounen}} And he's quite handsome,]] [[http://images.buddytv.com/articles/movies/profiles/peter-billingsley.jpg too.]]* Creator/RonHoward started out as Opie on ''TheAndyGriffithShow'' and Richie Cunningham on ''HappyDays'', he went on to direct films like ''Film/{{Apollo 13}}'', ''Film/ABeautifulMind'' and ''Film/FrostNixon'' (not to mention his involvement in ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''), and now has two Oscars and two Emmys to his name. Howard is, however, still an AcceptableTarget in comedy for how his ''appearance'' has aged horribly (most notably in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'').* Creator/ClintHoward, like his older brother Ron, has averted the label, as he's been working fairly consistently. Although the early [[TheEighties Eighties]] were a lean period, he's managed at least one film or television appearance a year since 1962, when he was ''three years old''.* NeilPatrickHarris is a notable aversion: after spending his teens on ''Series/DoogieHowserMD'', he worked steadily as a guest star on TV and on Broadway. But his career ''really'' took off after he did a cameo in ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'' -- ironically enough, playing a lecherous, drug-addled version of himself. He's now best known to present-day audiences as the womanizing Barney Stinson on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', as well as Dr. Horrible from ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''.* The main cast of the ''Film/HarryPotter'' movies seem to have avoided the worst aspects of child acting. Having begun acting between the ages of nine and eleven, they've shown steady development for over a decade and a total of eight films without any major misbehaviors or prima donna-ism. By all reports, all seem genuinely well-adjusted and mature.** Creator/DanielRadcliffe, apart from his role as the title character, has starred in the stage play ''Theatre/{{Equus}}'' and was critically acclaimed for his performance. He has since begun slowly branching out into other film and stage productions, and has even done a spot of TV (appearing alongside Creator/JonHamm in ''Series/AYoungDoctorsNotebook''). He did have a spot of trouble on the later films, by his own admission becoming an [[TheAlcoholic alcoholic]] and doing most of the ''Deathly Hallows'' production drunk. He now abstains from alcohol.** Creator/RupertGrint's major claim to eccentricity is owning an ice cream truck, saying that if his career after the ''Harry Potter'' movies are finished falls through, he can always fall back on a career as an ice cream man. A fairly mild indulgence for a multimillionaire, all things considered.** As for Creator/EmmaWatson... much like her character, she has done very well in school work and has since decided that, after her work with the movie series is done, she'll take a career break to finish her college degree like Creator/NataliePortman did. As of 2014, Watson graduated from [[IvyLeague Brown University]] with a degree in English Literature. Film critic Leonard Maltin famously said that Watson was in "the early stages of babehood". Now that she's most certainly an adult and effectively an adult actress, she is considered to have reached that milepost.** As a side note, Creator/ChrisColumbus, who directed the first two ''Potter'' films, previously directed ''Home Alone''. As he has discussed in interviews, Columbus is unhappy with how Macaulay Culkin turned out and considers this partly his fault. When casting the ''Potter'' kids, he was determined to avoid the same mistakes and tried to cast children with stable home lives.* Music/PhilCollins was a child model/actor who played TheArtfulDodger in a West End production of ''Theatre/{{Oliver}}'' and had teeny tiny blink-and-you'll-miss-him roles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'', but his musical success as an adult (both in Music/{{Genesis}} and as a solo act) far eclipsed his success as a child actor/model.* Early productions of ''Oliver!'' featured Steve Marriott in the title role. Marriott infuriated his family by choosing music over acting, given that he'd already established success, but went on to be the extremely popular frontman for Small Faces and Humble Pie.* Whit Hertford was a fairly popular child actor and voice actor appearing in works like ''Jurassic Park'', ''FullHouse'', and ''TinyToonAdventures'', he came back into show business having a successful career as an actor, writer, and director.* After a successful career as a child, which included an Oscar for her role in ''The Piano'', Creator/AnnaPaquin transitioned to adulthood easily, finding her best work on T.V.* Averted with Creator/SarahJessicaParker, who started her career as Theatre/{{Annie}} on Broadway and ''Series/SquarePegs'', then made the transition to adult star with plenty of movie roles...and then she starred in ''Series/SexAndTheCity''...* Sean Astin transitioned fairly well from [[Film/TheGoonies child actor]] to [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings adult actor]].* Creator/JenniferConnelly went a long way from being a young girl in ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' to being the respectable adult actress she is today.* Thomas Sangster, from such films as ''Film/LoveActually'' and ''Film/NannyMcPhee'', has had success beyond his cute little boy image, in films as diverse as ''Hitler: The Rise of Evil'' and ''Film/TristanAndIsolde''. Sangster also played young Music/PaulMcCartney in ''Film/NowhereBoy''.* Back in the 1910s, at the Vitagraph film studio, there was a local kid from Brooklyn named Harry Horowitz who enjoyed hanging out there. Harry was charming and [[LargeHam a natural ham]], and the Vitagraph people began putting him in films, making him a child star. Young Harry would grow up to be one of the most violent and abusive men in the world: [[spoiler: Moe Howard of Film/TheThreeStooges. [[MeanCharacterNiceActor But it's an aversion too.]]]]* Stefan Brogren has come as close as anyone to being a RealLife version of SCTV's Rusty by playing the role of Archie "Snake" Simpson in every incarnation of the ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}'' franchise since 1987 while taking on an ever larger role behind the camera. His character, however, has aged and progressed from student to teacher to principal of the titular HighSchool, while the show's hiatus coincides with the period the character would've been getting his degree.* Music/JustinTimberlake started off early, as a performer on The New Mickey Mouse Club (other cast members included his fellow Music/{{NSYNC}} bandmate JC Chasez, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera). After departing from *NSYNC, he's gone on to have a successful solo music career, and has appeared in films like ''Film/TheSocialNetwork''.* Creator/ElijahWood started off as a modestly successful child actor, appearing in such films as ''[[Film/BackToTheFuture Back to the Future: Part II]]'', ''Film/TheGoodSon'', and ''Film/{{North}}''. It wasn't until starring in Peter Jackson's take on ''Film/LordOfTheRings'' that his adult career really kicked off.* Blake Foster has been doing alright since his time as [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo Justin Stewart]], and while Justin was decried by many back then, there are plenty who wouldn't mind having him return.* MaraWilson had a pretty peaceful life despite going out of the spotlight. Nowadays she works as a stage actress, writes a humorous blog, [[Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale guest stars on a weird podcast]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnkKmpgl0uk calls out]] [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic internet reviewers]]. And is a good enough sport to [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/team-nchick/nostalgia-chick/36832-matilda costar in a review]] of ''Film/{{Matilda}}'' with WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick. And later on, [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/7-reasons-child-stars-go-crazy-an-insiders-perspective/ wrote an article about why real life examples of this trope occur.]]* Creator/FrankieMuniz may still be remembered mostly as {{Series/Malcolm|InTheMiddle}} and Film/AgentCodyBanks, but he went on to achieve decent success as a professional racecar driver and as a musician, is currently engaged and seems to be leading a fulfilling life despite his semi-retirement from Hollywood. * Roddy [=McDowall=] started as a child actor, but also had a long career as a character actor, most famously as the regular player in the ''PlanetOfTheApes'' series and was a successful photographer too.* Creator/HaydenPanettiere was successful as a child actress (''Series/GuidingLight'', ''Series/OneLifeToLive'', ''Film/RememberTheTitans''), and hasn't exactly become the next Creator/LindsayLohan since (thanks to ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' and to a lesser extent (in terms of ratings if not critical praise) ''Series/{{Nashville}}'').* Creator/JennyAgutter had her first film role in ''East of Sudan'' at twelve and went on to star as Bobbie in ''Literature/TheRailwayChildren'' both on film and television, as well as roles in ''Walkabout'' and ''The Snow Goose''. She has worked consistently and without trouble ever since, transitioning to adult roles in ''Film/LogansRun'' and ''Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon'' and going on to play lead and supporting roles all over film, television, theatre, and radio. She's been married to Johan Tham, a Swedish hotelier, since 1990 and stars as Sister Julienne on ''Series/CallTheMidwife''.* Alisan Porter took a break from acting after playing ''Film/CurlySue'', [[http://www.movmnt.com/alisan-porter_001823.html briefly struggled with addiction]], made a comeback in the mid-2000s with performing on Broadway and with her own band, and has been (so far) HappilyMarried with a child since 2012.* Creator/KurtRussell started acting during the late '50s (before he was even ten-years-old), doing various parts in TV and movies for the next decade. By the '70s, he was an adult and still going strong, even having a ten-year contract with Disney. [[Creator/TurnerClassicMovies Robert Osborne]] once noted that Russell was the biggest star the studio had at this time. Afterwards, Russell would later successfully transition to more adult fare and has been working ever since.* The parents of Jill Whelan, who had a small part in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' and a starring role on ''Series/TheLoveBoat'', made sure to avert this. In one episode of ''Podcast/TheBrianAndJillShow'' she relates a story in which a producer on the set of a film she was in told her that if she didn't like anyone they could be fired. Her mother responded by telling the producer that if he ''ever'' put that much power in a child's hands again they would walk.* Jeff Cohen, who played Chunk in ''Film/TheGoonies'', left the movie business after puberty, but reemerged on its business side. ''Goonies'' director Creator/RichardDonner helped Cohen get summer jobs at movie studios while he was attending Berkeley, which led him to pursue a law degree at UCLA. He's now a name partner in a Beverly Hills entertainment law boutique.[[note]]In legal circles, "boutique" refers to a firm, usually small to medium-sized, specializing in a relatively narrow area of law.[[/note]]* Charlie Korsmo, who most notably appeared in ''Film/DickTracy'', ''Film/WhatAboutBob'', and ''Film/{{Hook}}'', only had one film role after that (''Film/CantHardlyWait'', shot when he was 19) and then left entertainment for good. He got a physics degree at MIT and worked at the EPA and on Capitol Hill before going to law school at [[IvyLeague Yale]]. Now professionally known as Charles Korsmo, he's a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}.* Music/StevieWonder started as "Little Stevie Wonder" and had some hits in his teens, but then went on to become one of the biggest singers of the 1970s.* Creator/SethGreen has worked steadily as an actor, writer, producer, and director, who seamlessly transitioned from childhood roles to adult roles. * All of the young women from Series/TheFactsOfLife are aversions to the trope, whether they continued acting or moved out of it as adults. * [[AlexanderSkarsgard Alexander Skarsgård]] was a famous child actor in his native Sweden, after being discovered by a friend of his [[StellanSkarsgard father's]]. As he entered his teens, he became less and less comfortable with being a public figure, and decided to drop acting. After finishing high school and going through a stint in the Swedish Armed Forces and a semester of college, he rediscovered his passion for acting, went to acting school and began picking up work again. After doing some stage work, a few films in Sweden and a bit part in ''{{Film/Zoolander}}'' he was cast as Brad Colbert in ''GenerationKill'' and the rest is history.* ''Music/{{Shakira}}'' started her career very young, released two albums (now OldShame and CanonDiscontinuity) and did several apparitions in TV and concerts. However her mother never let her expand her career until she was 18, so she rarely performed outside Colombia and avoided events or appointments that could interfere with school. When she became an adult, the little exposition she had as a child let her become an international star as many people outside Colombia didn't even know about her and saw her as a new artist. While she definitely sexyfied her appearance, she did it after turning huge, and with much more modesty than other female pop artists of her generation. * [=LeAnn=] Rimes managed to survive from her early teens (she was 14 when she released her debut single "Blue") and into adulthood with a string of hits.* Joseph Mazzello, who portrayed Tim Murphy in ''Film/JurassicPark'', received steady work as a child actor before he decided to take a break from acting so he could have a normal high school experience. After majoring in film at USC, he's gone on to have a pretty good adult career, including a starring role in ''Series/ThePacific'' and minor roles in ''TheSocialNetwork'' and ''GIJoeRetaliation''.

!!!Real Life subversions:* Creator/JackieEarleHaley was once the embodiment of this trope, having starred in '70s hits ''TheBadNewsBears'' and ''BreakingAway'', but then failing to make the transition to adult roles and quit acting for 13 years. However, in 2006 he returned to Hollywood and after playing supporting roles in the remake of ''AllTheKingsMen'' and ''Film/LittleChildren'' (and getting an Oscar nomination in the latter), he starred in ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' as Rorschach, signed a multi-picture deal to star as Freddy Krueger in the rebooted ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet2010'', and co-starred on ''HumanTarget''. He's been keeping busy with roles in the film version of ''Film/DarkShadows'' and Steven Spielberg's ''Film/{{Lincoln}}''.* Once famous as a child actor in Sweden and the son of a famous actor, Alexander Skarsgård gave up acting for quite a while until returning a decade later and becoming famous for roles on ''Series/TrueBlood'' and ''GenerationKill''.* At one point, Creator/DrewBarrymore was the epitome of the bad end of this trope; at the age of 15, she already went through smoking cigarettes and pot, drinking, doing cocaine, attempting suicide, and staying in rehab twice. However, she eventually sobered up and became a successful adult actress.* Creator/JosephGordonLevitt took a breather from acting after playing Tommy on ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun''. Since he resumed his career, he's won raves in just about every project he's done.* Something similar can be said of Creator/WilWheaton and his role as [[CreatorsPet Wesley]]. But he grew up pretty well of it.* Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett are subversions as well, now much better known for their indie rock band RiloKiley then their pasts as child actors.* Jackie Coogan starred with Creator/CharlieChaplin as Film/TheKid, sued his parents for squandering his film earnings before he became an adult ([[ThereShouldBeALaw which led to]] the California Child Actor's Bill, AKA the Coogan Act), and much later became known as TV's [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Uncle Fester]].* Mayim Bialik of ''Series/{{Blossom}}'' famously went to school and got a [=PhD=] in Neuroscience, becoming Dr. Mayim Bialik. She had quit acting for some time and decided to ease back into the business by auditioning for some random roles. One of those roles happened to be for a show that celebrated higher education and she got the part of [[MetaCasting neurobiologist Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler]] in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''.* Anna Chlumsky of ''Film/MyGirl'' fame took a break in 1998 to concentrate on her studies. Seven years later, she returned to acting, eventually getting a role on ''Series/{{Veep}}'' in 2012.* Music/DemiLovato was, around 2010, one of the defining examples of the stereotypical image of the Creator/DisneyChannel's {{teen idol}}s, particularly in terms of them having messed-up private lives underneath their squeaky-clean images; in Lovato's case, it was eating disorders, self-harm, alcohol, and cocaine. However, she checked into rehab and stuck with it, going on to become a fairly successful adult pop singer and [[http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/12/demi-lovato-smuggled-cocaine-onto-airplanes-admits-drug-abuse/ coming clean]] about her past problems.* Mickey Rooney began acting appearing in films at the ripe young age of 17 months and even as a teenager continued his career as the "hyperactive, girl-crazy" AndyHardy, often together with Creator/JudyGarland. Rooney's enlistment in WorldWarII saw his career decline, making a few TV and film appearances after that (most notably in ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld''), but eventually making a Broadway comeback in 1979 at 59 years old with ''Sugar Babies'', to rave reviews. After that, he worked regularly on both screen and stage until shortly before his death in April 2014 at the age of 93.* The child actors on ''Series/GimmeABreak'' did well. Creator/JoeyLawrence continued to act through his teens and adulthood, including a main role on ''Series/{{Blossom}}'' and several guest roles as an adult. Currently, Lawrence stars in ''Series/MelissaAndJoey''. His younger brother Matthew Lawrence has had a long career and transition to adult roles. Kari Michaelsen (Katie) became a motivational speaker after retiring from acting. Lauri Hendler faded from the limelight after TheEighties. Lara Jill Miller (Samantha) studied law and passed the bar in three states while on a break from acting, and continues to do voice work. * NatashaLyonne started out as a child actor and continued working steadily through her teens and twenties, most notably in the AmericanPie series. She seemed to be an aversion until numerous convictions for impaired driving, a stay in rehab, and some health problems defined this trope for her. She cleaned up, however, and has transitioned to adult roles, including ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack''. * CountryMusic star Tanya Tucker stared her career in her teens, and despite a rocky middle period in the late 70s-early 80s, including a controversial relationship with the much older Glen Campbell and a suicide attempt, Tucker bounced back and had a second string of hits in the late 80s to early-mid 90s, and she continues to record to this day.

!!!Other:* Ironically played with in the life of Micky Dolenz. He was the child star of ''Circus Boy'' for several years, after which his parents took him out of show business entirely to avert this trope. By all accounts, it worked... far better than when he gained and lost fame AGAIN as one of Music/TheMonkees.* Tero Niva, a very promising Finnish young actor, instead chose to become a software engineer rather than a professional actor.* Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie in ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'', never acted in movies again (by choice) and graduated from Cornell and become a veterinarian instead.* Canadian child star Joey Cramer only appeared in three films, one of which was ''Film/FlightOfTheNavigator'' in which he starred as the titular navigator. After those three roles, he seemingly disappeared. Some fans of those 3 movies found he now makes a comfortable living working at a sporting-goods store in British Columbia.* Intentionally played with by Music/MileyCyrus. She was a Disney Channel star playing the squeaky-clean ''Series/HannahMontana'', had semi-nude pictures of her on the internet at age 15, danced on a pole at the Teen Choice Awards, became known for her taste for drugs when a video of her trying [[GRatedDrug salvia]] spread online, and made a transparently symbolic music video of her dressed as a giant SteamPunk bird being goggled at by creepy Victorians before breaking out of her cage. The single bombed, and everyone was expecting her to slide further into substance abuse and obscurity. Then she made an internet video of herself twerking to hip-hop in a unicorn onesie, [[ImportantHaircut cut off her hair]], and made a new album with a heavy hip-hop influence and references to all the drugs she was doing, for which she did a {{Squick}}tastic SoBadItsGood FanDisservice performance at the [=VMAs=] with a lot grinding on teddy bears, slapping the buttocks of women in teddy bear costumes, fellating a foam finger, and daggering on Creator/RobinThicke, to say nothing of her flapping her strangely white tongue around the whole time - she also smoked a spliff on stage at the European [=VMAs=]. Obviously it was an attempt to invoke this trope as a conscious artist image. However, Miley, by all accounts, is quite well-adjusted out of {{kayfabe}} - she says the drug-addled trainwreck persona is, while closer to the truth than her child star personality, just something she does on stage; she has stated her interest in feminism, made fun of the moral panic about her, and even mentions she sticks to [[TheStoner social, non-addictive drugs]] (ecstasy and weed) rather than the cocaine, booze and heroin that has ruined the lives of so many child stars. Dolly Parton, her father Billy Ray Cyrus, and Snoop Dogg, amongst loads of journalists and interviewers, all say that she's actually a very normal, intelligent girl.* Downplayed with Kathryn Beaumont. When she gave up acting she became a teacher, but it's harder not to think of her as [[Disney/AliceInWonderland Alice]] and [[Disney/PeterPan Wendy]].* Kirk Cameron, after a long run on ''Series/GrowingPains'', several teen films in TheEighties, and gracing the cover of many a teen pinup magazine, became a born-again Christian. This led to much-publicized friction on the ''Growing Pains'' set. He faded from the limelight but continued to act in Christian-themed productions and devote his life to ministry work, until he made controversial anti-gay marriage remarks. This led to a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1exVZ3hg08 video]] by former child stars, poking fun at the comments and supporting gay marriage. * German actress Romy Schneider (most well-known for her Sissi movies, which were a HistoricalRsearchFailure romanticized biopic on the otherwise tragic life of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth) got into acting when 15 years old, under the tutelage of her mother. In a bit of an version of this trope, she decided for herself to act, despite her parents (both rather famous film and stage actors of their time) being against it. Eventually she got tired of being typecast as squeaky-clean (potentially royal) teenagers (roles handpicked by her stepfather who wanted to capitalize on her as much as possible and her mother who wanted her to keep a wholesome virginal image) and left Germany/Austria as soon as the last movie of the "Sissi" trilogy was finished because all the prospect roles she was being offered were pale imitations of her Sissi character. Later she'd take up the role of Empress Elisabeth again as a personal favor for her friend director Luchino Visconti in his film ''Ludwig II''; where she know played Elisabeth as a mature, serious, and cynical woman. Radically different compared to the cute teenage (and historically inaccurate) "Empress Sissi" she hated portraying in her youth. Romy worked continuously in France, Italy, and sometimes the US because the filmmakers there offered her more serious roles than in her native Germany and Austria, and achieved much acclaim there on both the screen and on stage; and boy did the Germans hate her for this perceived "betrayal" and "corruption" of her youthful virginal image. Romy's life was beset with failed marriages, the death of her only son (in an eerie coincidence with the life of the actual Empress Elisabeth), and a huge debt incurred by her stepfather who invested her money into his own chain of restaurants. She died at age 43 from heart failure and is still well-known today both for her youthful roles as virginal naive aristocratic heroines and her later, more mature and darker works.* Devin Stanfield appeared in the childrens television series ''Series/TheBoxOfDelights'' and ''Chocky'' in the 1980s. Afterwards he moved into behind the scenes work in theatre and from all accounts is happy and successful.[[/folder]]